1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, generally, to pressure seal systems and cohesive patterns for use with business forms.
2. Background of the Invention
In the business world of today, the use of mailing systems has become a standard practice for many. Such systems include a combination of a variety of activities including folding, enveloping, sealing, metering, inserting, printing, glueing and sorting.
Automation of these processes has saved businesses significant amounts of time, labor and money. As technology has advanced, the equipment and systems used to prepare and distribute mail have become more sophisticated. From a simple postage metering device to the largest, most complex high-speed mail insertion system, the appropriate mailing system is an effective tool for business, enabling virtually any size enterprise to overcome a variety of organizational barriers and impediments.
In the traditional mailing system there was included two or more components to create the mail piece which eventually entered a distribution system such as the Federal Postal Service or an interoffice mail service for deliver to end-users. Typically, the minimum two pieces are the document and an envelope. The document is inserted into the envelope, which is then sealed, metered or stamped and presented to the distribution system.
With the development of self-contained or one part mailing systems, there was eliminated one or more of the components or processes of a traditional mailing system--the document becomes its own envelope, or various plies of a multi-part document serve as outgoing or return envelopes. In the appropriate operations, a self-contained mailing system can provide a level of service, cost-effectiveness and productivity that cannot be matched by larger more traditional systems.
In the beginning, heat seal systems were designed for use with impact printing technologies. For many years, these systems met the needs of and complimented the technology used by businesses around the globe. As technology advanced in the printing and imaging of business documents, a need was created for a one-piece mailing system compatible with a growing variety of non-impact printing devices.
In an effort to meet that need, a variety of products have been developed that would be compatible with the growing numbers of laser printers in the market today.
However, these products have proved to be less friendly and desirable than most customers had wished.
In 1990, a pressure seal system was introduced into the U.S. marketplace. This system was developed to be compatible with both impact and non-impact print/image technologies. Since 1990, the pressure seal system included a variety of form and equipment configurations, which provide a comprehensive offering of document-based information handling solutions.
While seeming a very simple solution to a variety of mail processing issues, the pressure seal system is really quite complex, bringing together a variety of technologies to provide an effective solution.
In a pressure seal system, the glue or cohesive is applied to the form to create the mechanical bonding between adjacent portions of the form. This adhesive (or cohesive) is of a nature which sticks only to itself and then only when subjected to a certain amount of pressure. The properties of the cohesive allow it to be applied to a form at a plant of manufacture, withstand the rigors of being processed through a printer, placing information onto the form, and then sealed generally immediately after printing in order to provide users with a fully integrated mailing system.
A problem, exists however, using pressure seal technology where a multiplicity of forms are stacked, fan-folded or rolled in web form. In such instances, the pressure seal cohesive of one form frequently inadvertently and undesirably sticks (or blocks) to the pressure seal cohesive of an adjacent form. This blocking then frequently causes feeding and paper jam problems when the forms are fed into the printer. A need, therefore, exists for a pressure seal system for use with business forms including a cohesive pattern wherein this blocking problem is reduced or eliminated.
Like any one-piece integrated mailing system a pressure seal system converts a form into a mailable document. In its simplest form, a pressure seal system takes an imaged (printed) document and folds the document and seals the document by applying pressure to the cohesive patterns on the document. The end result of this process is a document ready for franking and mailing.
When sealing the document, security of the contents is of maximum importance. Thus, there is continuously being sought a document form which can be readily used in a pressure seal system while providing a full perimeter seal thus precluding access to the contents of the folded document.